Shadow of the Hyugas
by ChibionO
Summary: Neji finds his inner self! Read to find out! COMPLETE!!
1. Prologue

                                                                        Shadows of the Hyuga ~ By: ChibionO

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto….though I'd be filthy rich right now. * Snuggles up to Neji* 

Neji: You freak! Get away from me!!

                                                                                                *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Suki Ono was a loud 12 year old ninja of the Hidden Mist Village. As a Genin level ninja, she was fortunately picked to be a transfer student among two others and a teacher to the Konohagare Village Hidden Leaf Village. After 7 hours of traveling and stopping, they finally arrived and were greeted by Hokage the 3rd.

            "Greetings to you. I'm here on behalf of my village and I would like to welcome you to Konohagare." He said, bowing.

            "We thank you for so kindly accepting us." Minako answered. Minako was the 22 year old Jounin who led Suki and the two other ninjas, Yoko, a quiet shy girl and Tsuyoshi, an arrogant young male.

            "Please follow me."

            As they walked through the village, Suki was surprised that at such a late hour, it would be so full of activity. Lanterns hung from nearly invisible strings and children of all ages ran through the streets, giggling, She glanced over at her two teammates and noted that they too were also staring about in awe. Mist village was nothing like this. At this hour, everyone would be asleep and the streets would be deserted. Well, there certainly would be something to talk about when she got home. **IF** she ever got home.

            They stopped in front of a small inn and were escorted to their rooms. The Hokage stood outside, discussing things with Minako, but it was too soft to hear. Suki flopped down onto the nearest bed, her eyelids beginning to droop. Tomorrow was going to be a long day….

                                                                                                *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Author's Note: Hi! From ChibionO! Yeah, this is my first fanfic….. I'm busy studying for an English test about the boringest is that a word subject ever… Caesar…. Ughh…Please review!!!!! Please!!! I'm begging on my knees!!! 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Blah.you know the stuff..one note: this chapter is in Suki's point of view, not to be confused with anyone!  
  
"Rise and shine everybody!" I was awaken by the familiar loud voice of Minako.  
  
"It's time already?" I mumbled in disbelief.  
  
"Can't we sleep a little longer?" Tsuyoshi groaned, pulling the covers over his head. " Nope, today, we'll be attending class with all the other leaf shinobis," she answered, dragging his blankets to the floor. Yoko had already put on her ninja gear and she stood quietly by the door.  
  
I growled angrily as I pulled my mist ninja badge on , which I wore on my right arm. I then buckled the shuriken holder onto my right thigh and flipped my hair into a loose bun.  
  
Tsuyoshi, on the other hand probably took the longest out of all three of us although he is a boy. He tied his badge on his head and took out a comb, carefully brushing his spikes until they were perfectly perpendicular to his head. He strapped on his shuriken holder on his left leg. Unlike me, he prefers to throw with his left arm. He probably wants to impress all the girls, I thought. I looked at Yoko and Minako and by the looks on their faces; they probably were thinking the same thing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When we first arrived at the Ninja Academy, Minako had led us to a platform in front of the class room. I felt like a science experiment gone wrong as the whole class stared at us. Every child was wearing a graduation badge, I noticed. A man with black hair tied into a ponytail a scar across his nose walked up. He waved a hand and the class was silent.  
  
"This year, we have received 4 ninjas as transfer students. They are from the Hidden.," he was cut off when a paper ball bounced of his head.  
  
"Com'n, get to the point already!" a loud, obnoxious voice said.  
  
"NARUTO!! Show some respect for the visitors!" the Jounin immediately yelled. I looked over to the direction of the boy "Naruto". He was wearing an orange jacket with white trim and he was currently lying back on his chair with his feet propped up on the desk.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever sensei Iruka," he answered. The Jounin turned towards us and silently apologized.  
  
"After recess, we'll start our daily drills in Section # 51. I hope you'll take this time to get to know these students," he said, gesturing his hand towards us. A loud bell rang and everyone rushed through the door except for a few students who crowded around us. A girl with long pink hair smiled at me and stuck her hand out.  
  
"I'm Sakura, and you are?" she asked.  
  
"Suki," I answered, taking her hand. Another girl with long blond hair in ponytail also introduced herself to me. She was Yamanaka Ino. They both pointed to a boy sitting at a desk with spiked hair and bangs. They began to chatter non-stop about him. Not paying any attention to them, I glanced around and I noticed Tsuyoshi talking to a big guy who was munching on something and another with a broom like ponytail. Yoko, however; stood behind Minako as the Jounin Iruka; shamelessly flirted with her. As I scanned my eyes around the room, a girl with short purple hair and white pupils caught my eye. She was being stared down by a boy with long black hair and also whit pupils. For those of you who don't know me, I really despise bullying.  
  
"So, then I find out that he likes long hair.," I cut Sakura off in mid- sentence.  
  
"Who's that girl and guy over there?" I asked, pointing towards the door.  
  
"That's Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Neji. They're cousins," Ino answered. She must have seen the way I was staring at Neji before she quickly responded.  
  
"They're not exactly on friendly terms."  
  
"Oh," I replied. I walked towards Hinata, determined to make friends with her. "Hi!, my name's Suki."  
  
"Ummm.. I. I'm Hinata. Nice to.. to meet you," she answered, stuttering. She glanced behind me and paled. I turned around and noticed Neji approaching us. He pushed Hinata aside and she stumbled to the floor. I frowned, but he took no notice of it.  
  
"Don't talk to her. She's a pathetic excuse for a ninja and a disgrace to the Hyuga family name," he said in an arrogant voice. I looked at Hinata. She was tearing and her lower lip began to quiver. As I said before, I truly despise bullying and I decided to say something.  
  
"Hey, lay off, will ya?" I said, offering a hand to Hinata. She glanced at Neji as I asking permission and her gaze returned to me. I smiled and she took my hand. By now, the whole class was silent and I could fell the eyes burning into the back of my neck. I boldly stared at Neji and frowned.  
  
"She's a human being like everyone else, so treat her like one." Neji's eyes narrowed at my statement and swiftly turned towards the door.  
  
"You'll regret it someday," then he left as quickly as he had came.  
  
"Woah. no one has ever talked to Neji like that and lived," I turned to the voice and saw Ino and Sakura gaping at me.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm the first," I shrugged and looked at Hinata "You o.k.?"  
  
She smiled and nodded.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. I nodded in response.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The bell rang once more and all the students lined up in front of Iruka Sensei. He held up 5 bells and randomly threw them to people. I caught one and looked around nervously.  
  
"Today's drill will be different. Instead of your normal teams, I'll be splitting you up," he looked at his list and began to read off names. "Haruno Sakura, Akimichi Choji, and Aburame Shino; Team1. Rock Lee, Shimbe Tsuyoshi, and Yamanaka Ino; Team 2. Uzumaki Naruto, Tenten, and Inuzaka Kiba; team 3. Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Ono Suki; Team 4. Nara Shikamaru, Hato Yoko, and Uchiha Sasuke; Team 5..."  
  
My mouth dropped open in shock as his voice droned on. I was with that bully Hyuga Neji?! I glanced at Hinata and she ran over to me. She looked extremely scared at the thought of being on the same team as Neji.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't let him do anything to you," I said reassuringly.  
  
"The objective is to steal bells from the other teams. The team with the highest number of bells after the time limit receives a month's worth of ramen."  
  
A few students laughed at the reward, until Naruto yelled at them.  
  
"HEY! Ramen is nothing to laugh at! I'd do anything for a month's worth of free ramen!" I hid my laughter and turned back to Hinata only to see Neji next to her, smirking. I glared at him and was about to yell at him when Iruka blew a whistle. I jumped off into the trees, gliding through the air like a bird. I looked behind me and noticed that Hinata and Neji had both kept up with me. Jumping into the bushes, I knelt down to discuss plans with them.  
  
"We'll need to create an illusion of the bell," I said as I plucked two leaves and changing them into exact replicas of the bell. I handed them to Neji and Hinata. They took it and tucked it onto their hip pouches.  
  
"So, any suggestions?" I asked.  
  
"The first group that we should strike is Team 3, since it does have that freak Naruto and Tenten I know her skills well," he said. I turned to Hinata and she shook her head.  
  
"O.K. then, let's go," I replied, jumping into the trees again. The bell jingled in my pouch as I leaped from tree to tree like a monkey. Suddenly I stopped I felt something coming towards me. I glanced behind me and signaled to Neji and Hinata. They softly crawled through the bushes. My muscles tensed as I sensed that aura again.  
  
"Something's coming," Neji whispered.  
  
I Pushed a bush aside and was knocked back by millions of hands. I yelped and protected myself with my arms. I opened my eyes and saw Naruto in front of me, then another appeared, and another. I turned around and saw that Neji and Hinata were in the same situation as me. We were completely surrounded by thousands of Narutos.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's note: Whoohoo! Another chapter done and gone. I'll be updating soon, most likely next week. PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Ohh.and I'd like to thank Shinigami for reviewing my first ever chapter. THANX SHINIGAMI!!!! XD (Psst..what I meant by Caesar was: Caesar = Shakespeare = English) 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, so please don't sue me.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Being surrounded by thousands of ramen loving freaks is not a pleasant experience. Incessant chattering filled the air and I winced. They all looked the same and sounded the same.  
  
"Com'n guys, you lost. Hand over the bell," they all said in unison. I backed up towards Neji and Hinata until we were back to back.  
  
"Guys, stay close to me, I know a way out," I shouted, over the noise. I looked up and scanned the treetops. I spotted Tenten and Kiba nearby. Changing my stance, I braced myself for a Jutsu that I learned at the age of 3. The Ono clan was famous for this jutsu. My inner body began to surge, I felt that familiar sensation of water boiling. Concentrating, I yelled at Hinata.  
  
"Hinata! Throw the bell, now!" She frantically grabbed the decoy and hurled it into the air. The doppelgangers followed like bees to honey. Clenching my fists, I let go.  
  
"WHIRLPOOL BLAST!!" The ground below me shook like a magnitude 10 earthquake as it cracked open. Water shot out of the opening and lifted me and the Hyugas into the air. We flew into the treetops and the rest of the water began to spin like a twister. The doppelgangers were demolished by the whirlpool one by one, until the original Naruto was left. The whirlpool subsided and left the trees below us dripping wet like an afternoon thunderstorm. Laying on the floor, drenched with water, was Naruto. Neji leaped down to search him for the bell.  
  
"It's not here. Tenten or Kiba must have it," he said, nudging Naruto with a foot. Lazily he rolled over into the wet soil with a loud squelch and mumbled something that sounded a lot like "ramen".  
  
Searching through my hip pouch, I pulled out a rope and leaped down from the trees. I dragged Naruto from the back of his collar and tied him to a tree to make sure that he wouldn't attack us again. I jumped back to Hinata and scanned around the area.  
  
"Do you have any idea where they went?" I asked. She shook her head.  
  
"But. but I think I can help." she said. Moving her hands swiftly, she muttered something and her eyes grew bigger. She stood motionless for a few seconds and closed her eyes.  
  
"I think.I found them," she said. "Follow me."  
  
She jumped through the trees and I struggled to catch up with her. Neji wasn't far behind and I glanced at him. I was distracted by him and didn't stop. I crashed into Hinata and we both went tumbling into a clearing. I rubbed my head and looked around. Right in front of me was Kiba and Tenten. At Kiba's feet was a small white dog.  
  
"Well, well. Look Akamaru, you don't have to find them for us, they came to us themselves." The small dog looked up at his master and wagged his tail. Kiba smirked and he winked at his dog.  
  
"Akamaru! ATTACK!" he yelled, pointing towards me. His dog ran, gradually gaining speed until he was almost on me. Then he leaped into the air and sailed towards me. I blocked with my hands and closed my eyes. Feeling his paws on my arms, I waited for the claws to rip my skin apart. Instead, I felt a rough tongue on my face, slobbering all over me. I opened my eyes and saw Akamaru drooling onto my face with his paws on my shoulder. I scooped up his wriggling body into my arms and stood up, laughing as he snuggled into my neck. Kiba, however; was burning with anger as he slowly watched his vicious dog turn into a lovable puppy.  
  
"AKAMARU!!" he shouted. "You're supposed to attack her! Not lick her!" Karamu's brows scrunched together and he began to whimper. He jumped out of my arms and slowly to his master, tail between his legs. Kiba growled in anger and I silently laughed. His dog was nice and he was pissed about it?  
  
"Fine, if I can't use you, I'll have to fight the normal way." Kiba said, hissing to his dog. Akamaru whimpered and walked slowly to the bushes. Kiba turned back to us and quickly drew out a shuriken. He hurled it towards me and I to drew out a shuriken, swiftly blocking it. The fight began, but the odds did not favor Kiba, his team was outnumbered 3 to 2 due to Naruto's disappearance, which was my doing. I grabbed out two shuriken and hurled it towards Kiba. He jumped aside, but my second one grazed across his left cheek and left a thin trail of blood that added to the coloring of his face markings. Neji and Hinata both concentrated on ambushing Tenten. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle Kiba myself, but as the fight wore on, I noticed that he was not as confident fighting alone. His dog was not there to back him up. He lunged towards me and I ducked, slamming into his stomach. As he fell to the floor, I quickly groped his hip pouch for the bell and I felt its cold metal against my palm and I pulled it out. The jingling of bell rang in my ears as I smiled triumphantly. I rolled over on my back and darted my eyes around for another person who might pose for a threat.  
  
In the bushes, I saw the familiar sleeve of a certain someone I knew. I quietly stepped towards the bushes and yelled.  
  
"BOO!!"  
  
I was rewarded by a scream that probably broke all the windows within a 10 mile radius. I covered my ears and winced.  
  
"Suki! Why do you always have to do that?!" A familiar whining voice caused me to open my eyes. There stood Yoko with Sasuke and Shikamaru glaring accusingly at her. I laughed and she responded with a quick swipe with her fist. I stepped back and noticed the needles in between her fingers that I hadn't seen before. In our village, Yoko was probably the best needle user. Even I knew not to piss her off when she had those needles in her hands.  
  
"Hand over the bell," Sasuke said in a blunt voice.  
  
"Psshh, yeah right, in your dreams," I said, throwing a decoy to Neji, who caught and gripped it possessively.  
  
"Suki, I don't want to see you get hurt. I saw him take down Tsuyoshi without even trying," Yoko whined again.  
  
"Yeah, like I give a damn, anyone can take down Tsuyoshi. He's the biggest loser in the village," I said.  
  
"Fine, be that way," she said, turning away from me.  
  
I leaped back to Neji and Hinata and I took a defensive stance. Sasuke was from the Uchiha clan, and I knew his family had Sharingan eyes. I would have to be extra careful around him. Neji leaped towards Shikamaru, but was kicked down by Sasuke. Neji leaped again but was stopped when Shikamaru yelled out something Shadow Copy. His shadow began to extend and it connected with Neji's shadow.  
  
"I.. I can't move!" he said. I ran to Neji but was stopped when a ball of fire shot towards me Powerful Fireball. I barely avoided it and I felt the hotness on my face. A thought quickly ran through my mind. 'When fighting fire, use water.' I turned to my attacker and saw another fireball emit from his mouth. I flipped my fingers and brought to my face.  
  
"WATER DRAGON BLAST!" I shouted. Fortunately for me, there was a pond near by and a huge twist of water exploded from the surface of the pond. It quickly took shape of a dragon and shot through the air and towards the fireball. Entwining its snake like body around the fireball, it constricted and the hiss off dying fire sounded. The fireball disappeared and the dragon evaporated. It was a draw between me and Sasuke. I stood there, staring at him anticipating his next move. He, too was standing there, studying me. Until he disappeared.  
  
~ Sorry, hafta end here... gotta do my homework, mom is yelling.heehee.~ 


	4. Chapter 3: Ramen

Chapter 2 ~ Ramen  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for making you guys wait so long. I had to study for the friggin' regents. Arrgghh.I hate tests! But who doesn't? Oh. and this chapter is in 3rd person. just to be sure.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Suki looked around but she couldn't see him at all. He had disappeared completely.  
  
"Where the hell is he?" She yelled. Her heart was beating frantically at the anticipation. How could he have disappeared without me seeing where he was? She thought.  
  
"Don't move," said a voice. Suki felt the coldness of the metal blade of a shuriken. The blade pressed against her throat and she breathed heavily. She glanced around for a way to escape and saw Neji running towards her.  
  
"I got him!" Shikamaru yelled. He made a few movements with his arms. "Shadow Copy!" he yelled. His shadow rapidly grew and connected itself with Neji's.  
  
"I..I can't move!" he said. From the corner of her eye, Suki saw Yoko run to grab the bell from Neji's pouch, but was intercepted by Hinata. She slammed herself into Yoko's stomach and they both fell to the floor.  
  
"Hand over the bell," Sasuke said threateningly.  
  
"In your dreams," Suki answered.  
  
"I don't want to hurt anybody."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"What the.?"  
  
"Let her go," She heard someone say. It sounded a lot like Neji and she let out a slow breath.  
  
"I thought you said you had him!" Yoko said, very irritated.  
  
"My Jutsu only lasts for 5 minutes," he answered, panting. It was a stand off and she waited for a few minutes before she began to fidget. Sasuke's blade pressed closer to my neck and she stopped moving.  
  
"Let her go," Neji said again. "Now." I guess it was time for my trump card, she thought. The sky began to turn crimson red and a loud screech sounded from the folds of the cloud.  
  
"Oh no." Yoko whispered. "Not the Phoenix."  
  
A large blazing red Phoenix appeared from the sky and let out a vicious screech. It's eyes landed on Sasuke and they began to glow red. Sasuke began to levitate and his shuriken slipped right past Suki's neck. Suki fell onto the floor from exhaustion and Neji ran to her. A red tinted bubble enclosed around Sasuke and an invisible force slammed into him. He fainted right into the bubble and it dropped to the floor. The Phoenix flew to Suki and nudged her cheek before it flew off and the clouds cleared.  
  
"Hurry up and get the bell from them," Yoko said to Shikamaru.  
  
"No!" he exclaimed. " I don't want to end up like him." He glanced at Sasuke who was still unconscious in his bubble prison.  
  
"Don't worry, summoning the Phoenix takes a lot of energy and I doubt that she'll be able to do it again."  
  
"Don't underestimate me Yoko," Suki whispered. " I can always do it again."  
  
The sky began to grow red and Yoko paled.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" Shikamaru pulled Yoko into the bushes and rolled Sasuke and his round prison. As they disappeared into the woods, the sky began to clear up and Suki pushed herself up from the floor. Hinata ran to her and held her up.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked.  
  
"I.I think...so," she answered. She dropped down onto the floor again and everything blacked out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
My eyes opened and everything was a blur. The soothing smell of grass and leaves floated around me. I sat up and my head began to pound like a jackhammer.  
  
"Neji! She's awake!"  
  
I turned to the voice and saw Hinata and Neji by the river. Neji got up and walked towards me with a small valve in his hand. He handed it to me and I took it.  
  
"Drink it, you'll feel better," he said. I gulped it down and miraculously, my headache disappeared. But the aftertaste was horrible. I ran to the river and splashed my mouth with water. I walked slowly back to the tree and sat down.  
  
"How'd you do it?" Neji asked.  
  
"Do what?" I said.  
  
"The Phoenix. I thought the Hidden Mist Ninjas were water users."  
  
"We are. Just not me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
I closed my eyes. There was nothing I could keep from them. It would come out sooner or later.  
  
"The Ono Clan has a special tradition. Like other ninjas, we also summon beasts in order to help us. But our clan does it a different way. When we reach a certain age, we go through a ritual in order to see which heir is worthy of the Phoenix. Like my father, I was chosen by the Phoenix. But my older sister was not. She was chosen like everyone else by the Water Dragon. Although on the nights of the full moon, everyone of the Ono clan would be able to summon both, not many people do that because the Phoenix and Water Dragon can be very jealous of one another. My sister became a Missing-Nin from my village because she was not chosen. The last I heard was that she had been accepted into Konohagare." I took out a picture and held it up. "Have you ever seen her?"  
  
"I don't think so, but you should ask some of the Hunter-Nins in out village," Hinata answered.  
  
"Maybe I should," I answered. "How many bells do we have?"  
  
"One from Naruto and his team, two from Sasuke, and our own, which makes 4," Neji answered.  
  
"Which also makes us the winner if we can hold onto them."  
  
"Should we just lay low until times up?" Hinata asked. "Don't be such a coward," Neji said.  
  
I glared at him, but he ignored me and I patted Hinata's back.  
  
"Actually, I agree with Hinata. I'm already out," I said. There was a long pause until Neji finally responded.  
  
"Fine. We'll just sit here until time's up," Neji said.  
  
I moved towards the river and played with the water there. The water began to turn red and I looked around. The color seemed to be coming from the north and I motioned for Neji and Hinata.  
  
"What the hell?" Neji said.  
  
"It's coming from up there," I said, pointing upstream. I walked along the riverbank when finally, I spotted the carcass of a deer. It was untouched, but around its mouth was a pool of blood. The blood was fresh so I calculated that it was killed not very long ago.  
  
"There's something out there," I said.  
  
"And it just missed us," Neji finished for me.  
  
"Can we go back?" Hinata whimpered.  
  
"Yeah, I think we should because whatever's out there is not something I want to deal with," I said, heading back south. I loud ring sounded through the forest and Iruka's voice was heard from hidden loudspeakers.  
  
"Time's up, head back to the base. In 5 minutes, whoever's not here will be disqualified."  
  
I jumped through the trees and Neji and Hinata followed. I was happy that we were going to win, but something was nagging me in he back of my head. What was in the forest? What could have done that to the deer?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"OK everyone, hold up your bells."  
  
I looked around and saw that only one other group had a bell. All the other groups were glaring at us. I snickered and proudly held up a bell while Neji and Hinata held up the others.  
  
"Well, it's clear who won, group 4 with Neji, Hinata, and Suki. Here, the passes for a month's worth of free ramen," Iruka said, handing us three certificates. I glanced over to Naruto and noticed that he was moping. I walked over to him and handed him the pass. His face lit up and I nodded.  
  
"Thanks!" He said, throwing his arms around me.  
  
"OK, you can get off now, before I punch you," I said. Naruto quickly withdrew and ran off shouting to the ramen store.  
  
"Everyone, dismissed!" Iruka announced. The village regained its hustle bustle as the young ninjas ran off to their activities. I remembered Hinata's suggestion and I asked Iruka.  
  
"Uhh, Iruka Sensei, I would like to speak to this village's Hunter Nin."  
  
"What? Oh, yes the Hunter Nin? I'll take you to them," he answered. As we walked to the Hunter-Nin building, Iruka began to ask me questions about Minako.  
  
"Is your sensei married?" he said, hesitantly.  
  
"No, why?" I said. I had suspicions that he was attracted to Minako, but this question confirmed them.  
  
"Nothing, nothing. Do you know if she ever will?"  
  
"Probably, if she meets the right guy. You like her don't you?" I prodded.  
  
"What? No, no," he said, turning red.  
  
"You're turning red! You do like her!" I said, laughing.  
  
"Shhh! Keep it down!" he said, hushing me.  
  
"Don't worry, she's single, so you can make your move on her. Who knows? Maybe she'll even like you too."  
  
"Really?" he said, smiling.  
  
"Yep, just take your time and don't rush her."  
  
"OK. We're here," he said, pointing to a small building that was half hidden by trees. "I'll escort you in."  
  
We walked through the trees and into the front door of the building. On the door was the sign for ninja in red and an animal mask hanging under it. Iruka took the mask in his hand and knocked the door. A small hatch opened and a face hidden by an animal mask popped out.  
  
"Password?"  
  
"Cha, cha, ha, ha, ninja," Iruka answered, doing a silly dance.  
  
"Come in."  
  
The door opened and I peeked in. It wasn't as dark as I thought it would be, like the Hunter Nin back at Hidden Mist Village. Instead, it was light and airy. There was a large sky window on the ceiling that let in the sunlight. In the front, was a small Shinto shrine, on the right of the shrine was a rack that hung many different styles of animal masks and on the left was a rack containing many weapons. Next to the door, was a large couch with a coffee table placed in front of it. A few ninjas were sitting around or watching TV.  
  
"Who's the girl?" a ninja in a bird mask said.  
  
"She's here to ask about something," Iruka answered. He nudged me forward to the other ninjas. I took out the picture of my sister that I always carried around and showed it to them.  
  
"She's a missing nin from the Hidden Mist Village, but I heard that she had been accepted into Konohagare. Have you seen her?"  
  
"How long ago was this?" a ninja with a dog mask asked.  
  
"About 5 years ago," I answered.  
  
"That would be a question for Kakashi," he said.  
  
"What's a Kakashi?" I said, confused. "I'm Kakashi," someone said.  
  
I turned around to the front door and a shadow walked in. He had messy silver hair and a headband that tilted to cover his left eye. His nose and mouth was covered with a handkerchief. He slowly walked in and plopped down onto the couch.  
  
"I heard my name," he said. I handed him the picture and he stared at it for a while.  
  
"Hmm, Misaki."  
  
"So, you do know her!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, I do. But I don't know where she is," he answered.  
  
My gut dropped. I was this close, but now the opportunity to see my sister was gone.  
  
"But I can find her for you," he added.  
  
"Really?!"  
  
He nodded and I threw my arms around him. The other ninjas laughed and he turned bright red. Tears began to stream down my face and I let go. I wiped my face with my hand and Iruka patted my head. I was finally going to find my sister!  
  
"Now, I can't guarantee that I'll find her. She could be dead, understand?"  
  
I nodded and smiled.  
  
"Thanks. I'm forever in debt."  
  
"Now go, go do what you young ninjas do," he said, shooing me away.  
  
I ran out the door and almost ran into Sakura and Ino. They led me back to the village and questioned me.  
  
"What were you doing in there?"  
  
"I asked the Hunters to find my sister," I answered.  
  
"Well, you almost missed a contest," Ino said.  
  
"They're having a contest at the ramen store. It's an eating contest between Choji and Naruto," Sakura said.  
  
We ran to the ramen store and pushed through the crowd to Choji and Naruto. Among the crowd were children and adults alike. I noticed Neji and the back of the crowd, looking away. I pushed my way out and slapped him in the back.  
  
"What was that for?" he yelled.  
  
"Were you the one who gave a pass to Choji?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"That was a really nice thing to do," I said, complimenting him. His blushed and turned away.  
  
"Yeah, I know," he said. I sighed. He was as arrogant as ever. My attention went back to the contest when I heard Shikamaru yell. "YEAH! GO CHOJI!"  
  
I pushed my way back and saw that Choji was wining. He was stuffing his face with ramen while Naruto was taking his time, slurping each strand of ramen into his mouth.  
  
It took a while before Choji fell over, full of ramen, but Naruto kept on going. Hinata was by his side, handing him bowl after bowl of ramen while he kept on slurping it down. So, Hinata was attracted to Naruto, I thought. Who would have ever thought that Hinata, the most shy and quiet girl in the village would be attracted to Naruto, the loud outcast?  
  
Outcast? That didn't sound right. It had finally occurred to me that everyone would soon find a group that they would fit into. Hinata was excluded from her family, but she found a friend in Naruto and me. Naruto, the outcast of the village found respect in Iruka and Hinata. I, on the other hand, was not accepted in Hidden Mist Village because my sister, Misaki, was a missing nin, but I find acceptance in Konohagare with Sakura, Ino, and Hinata.  
  
I looked over at Neji. He was standing alone, outside the store. The night wind blew through his ink black hair as he stared out into the night. Someday, I wished that he too would cast aside his arrogance and find acceptance among his peers not as a highly respected ninja, but as a good friend you could talk to and depend on.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: oh.Suki's having some feelings for Neji, Hinata's having some feelings for Naruto, and Iruka's having some feelings for Minako. Everyone's splitting up into pairs! More to come in the next chapter! Please REVIEW!!! 


	5. Chapter 4: Misaki

Chapter 3 ~ Misaki  
  
"It's time, my dear, dear sister. Wouldn't you be happy to see me?"  
  
A woman stood on the treetops of a forest west of Konohagare. The wind blew through her jet-black hair. She smirked and took an animal mask from her waist and covered her face with it. The wind blew once more and she disappeared.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Plip. Plop. Plip. Plop. Plip. Plop.  
  
I hate rainy days. It always ruined my mood and my hair would get all weird. Today was one of those days. I sat in the classroom while Iruka began explaining about the rules of the Chuunin Exam. I propped my head on my fist while I watched Tsuyoshi flirt with Ino. He would tug her hair and she would turn around and give him an evil look, but when she turned back, she would giggle. Looking around the room helped me observe the characteristics of my classmates, which would help me predict what they would do in battle. Sometimes I looked at people as animals. Me as a fox, the sly one of my class back at my village. Yoko was a rabbit, always the scared, nervous one. Tsuyoshi was a lamb, laid back and carefree. To me, Sakura and Ino were like magpies, chattering about basically every subject. Naruto was a cute little puppy, looking for love, while Hinata was a kitten, scared, but always fun to be with. Sasuke and Neji both are like a dragon, serious, powerful, and arrogant. My thoughts were interrupted when a ninja ran in frantically.  
  
"Sensei Iruka! We're under attack!"  
  
"What? Sound the alarm and inform Lord Hokage right away!" he said. "Students, you will all return to your house and stay there until danger is gone."  
  
"And miss a whole lot of fun?" Naruto said.  
  
"Naruto, this is no time to disobey me," Iruka replied seriously. Naruto mumbled, but walked out of the classroom with the rest of the students.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I don't know," I replied. "But it's probably not something that we can't handle."  
  
As we walked out of the Academy and into the soaking rain, I looked up into the sky and noticed a dark object flying towards us. The object got closer and closer and caused an uproar among the students. As it got closer, I was able to make out the object. It was a dragon with a rider on it.  
  
"Holy shit! It's my sister!" I yelled.  
  
"What?" all the students answered in unison.  
  
I ran from the Academy towards the Hunter-Nin's guild. I must find Kakashi, I thought. I met Kakashi halfway there and he dragged me to the guild.  
  
"That's your sister, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," I answered gravely. "But why is she attacking the village?"  
  
"I don't know, but I must ask you to accompany me."  
  
"OK."  
  
We sprung from tree to tree until we arrived at the village square. My sister was there with the Water Dragon. Her face grew hard when she saw me and I slowed down. "Well, if it isn't the "Chosen One"?" she said.  
  
"Misaki! What are you doing here?"  
  
"To retrieve what is rightfully mine. The Phoenix."  
  
I had no choice but to summon the Phoenix before she went into a rampage. The sky began to turn red and the rain slowed. My Phoenix appeared from the sky with a screech and flew down to me.  
  
"If it's the Phoenix you want, you'll have to fight me for it!" I said.  
  
Our beasts flew into the sky and began a vicious battle. The sky was still red and rain was still falling, but the raindrops had turned red into what appeared to be blood.  
  
"Are you sure you can handle her yourself?" Kakashi asked. I nodded. All my concentration was in the Phoenix. I could tell that all Misaki's concentration was in the Dragon because I had never seen her fight so fiercely before. The Phoenix let out a screech and a thick jet of fire was issued from its beak. It hit the Dragon on its pearl that was located on its forehead. The pearl was the location of all the Dragon's power. The Dragon staggered for a while before it regained its balance. They both spiraled up into the sky into what appeared to be a jet of water entwined by fire. The Dragon and the Phoenix were hidden by the powerful attack until it exploded and my Phoenix was sent to floor with a loud thud. I ran to it and stroked its head. It cried weakly and the sky changed into a clam light blue. The rain had stained the buildings red. I concentrated all my power into the Phoenix and I let it all out into one blast. The Phoenix burst into flames and turned into ashes. From the ashes formed a silver egg. My head fell to the floor with a painful thud, but before I blacked out, I heard my sister's laugh.  
  
"You lost, sister."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: OK, Suki blacked out, but in order to tell the story, it's going to be in 3rd person.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Misaki walked towards Suki's body with her shuriken drawn. All the ninjas were in the nearby buildings, watching the battle. Hinata and all of Suki's other classmate's watched in horror as Misaki proceeded to kill Suki.  
  
"Someone do something!" Sakura yelled. As if on cue, Kakashi appeared in front of Suki's body.  
  
"You can't do this, not now. Not when I've seen you again," Kakashi whispered.  
  
"It was over years ago Kakashi, you have to move on. What I do now is my own business," Misaki hissed.  
  
"It wasn't over. It was never over. Never. You just disappeared."  
  
"You promised that you would wait for me there. You promised. But you never came. I waited for you the whole night, but you never came," Misaki whispered.  
  
"I was told that you had disappeared, so I figured that you wouldn't be there," Kakashi answered.  
  
"No, no. You broke your promise. You never came."  
  
"I've missed you Misaki. I've missed you a lot. Come back to me and stop being a Missing-Nin and an outlaw. Come back to me finish what we had so long ago."  
  
Inside the buildings, the students crowded the windows.  
  
"What are they talking about? What's taking so long?" Naruto whined.  
  
Minako watched silently with tears streaming down her face. One of her own students was about to get killed and she couldn't do a single thing about it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Iruka. She let out a cry and fell into his chest, crying out her heart. Iruka blushed and soothed her.  
  
Outside, Suki had begun to stir and Misaki was watching her the way a hawk would watch its prey. She lunged with her shuriken, but instead of her sister, she found her knife in Kakashi's torso. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and a single teardrop fell onto her cheek.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Those three words shattered the pain and tears began to stream down her face. She collapsed onto the floor and sobbed. Her neck began to let out steam and she clutched it with her hand.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.  
  
"It's Orochimaru's bite. He's been trying to control me," she said.  
  
Back in the building, everyone was cheering.  
  
"Hey, why are they making out? Aren't they supposed to be killing each other?" Naruto asked. Everyone laughed and they all went out the main door to help Suki and Kakashi. As they approached Suki, she sat up and rubbed her head. She looked up and saw Neji holding out his hand.  
  
"Here, get up," he said. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up.  
  
"Thanks," she replied. " HEY! Don't touch that!" she yelled when she saw everyone poking at the egg.  
  
"Can I eat it?" Choji asked.  
  
"NO!" Suki yelled. She grabbed the egg from off the floor and put in her hip pouch before she walked to Misaki.  
  
"Misaki?"  
  
"Suki, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. Will you forgive me?"  
  
"Of course! You're my sister!"  
  
They both flew into each other's arms and cried from happiness. Misaki handed Suki a necklace with a phoenix pendant on it and helped her tie it on her neck.  
  
"I found it on my travels. Thought you might like it," she said.  
  
"Thanks sis. Com'n, let's go back to the village, we have to check your bite and Kakashi's wound. Then we can celebrate."  
  
"YEAH! More ramen!!" Naruto yelled.  
  
Everyone laughed and they all walked back together to the village. Kakashi and Misaki lingered for a while before they walked back together with their new found love.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The weather was slowly cooling down and the holiday season arrived once again. Bundling up, I stepped out of the inn and walked through the streets. Yoko followed behind me. We were both shopping for Christmas presents.  
  
"Do you miss home?" she asked.  
  
"Why would I?" I answered.  
  
"Well, at this time of the year, we would be celebrating the Festival of the Dragon. It was always so much fun," she said.  
  
In the Hidden Mist Valley, every year before Christmas on the day of the first snow, we would have a festival in honor of the Water Dragon. Legend said that the Water Dragon dwelled in the Dragon Lake and it brought prosperity to everyone. But on the day of the first snow, it would signal that the lake would soon freeze and the Dragon would go into hibernation. Then, the ninjas of Mist would hold a celebration to honor the dragon. They would also hold a celebration of love. In the winter, the celebration of love would take place and in the spring, new life would be brought up again. It was a cycle that went on for the past 100 years at my village. The Festival of Love was like Valentines Day, but I never liked it for I was an outcast in my village. I didn't participate in any of the festivals.  
  
"It was fun for you, but not for me," I said.  
  
We walked through the stalls when something caught my eye. It was a necklace with a dove pendant on it. To me, it symbolized love and friendship. I picked it up and the stand owner watched me with greedy eyes.  
  
"How much?" I asked.  
  
"Usually for the regular costumer, 30 yen, but for you, I'll lower the price to 20 yen," he said slyly. I knew it was a rip-off, but I just had to have it. I paid him the money and he wrapped it into a small box. I put it in my hip pouch and walked to another stand.  
  
"Wasn't that a waste of money?" Yoko asked. I shrugged. We walked around the other stands until it was nightfall. We walked back to the inn with our gifts.  
  
"Man, you guys bought so much, you'd think there would be no tomorrow," Tsuyoshi said.  
  
"Well, I guess someone doesn't want their present," I said sarcastically.  
  
"Ha ha, I wonder who that is," Tsuyoshi replied.  
  
We all walked into our rooms and set down our gifts before we went downstairs to the dinning room. We sat down for dinner with Kakashi, Misaki, Minako, and Iruka. I sat quietly while chewing slowly on my unagi.  
  
"Sensei Minako, I've been wondering. You know that at this time, Mist Village would be having the Festival of the Dragon. Why don't we have one here?" Yoko asked. I groaned.  
  
"Do we have to?" I said.  
  
"I think that would be a great idea," Minako replied, ignoring me.  
  
"How about the Festival of Love?" I asked. I glanced at Iruka and winked at him. He blushed but smiled.  
  
"Sure, that would be a great idea. I'll talk to Lord Hokage tomorrow," she said.  
  
In the Festival of Love, you would approach your love with a small boat and lantern. You would then write both of your names on the lantern and set it floating in the Dragon Lake. The gods were supposed to see the two names and bless their marriage. I knew that I wouldn't have a partner, but I hoped that Minako would agree to Iruka's request. Dinner was finished and I went back to my room and eventually fell asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I woke very late in the morning and sat up. Rubbing my eyes, I put on my headband and sweater, checked on my egg, and walked out the door. Minako ran into me in her excitement.  
  
"Guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Lord Hokage agreed to the festival! It'll take place tomorrow! So many preparations!"  
  
She ran off and I laughed silently. Minako was always that excited before a festival. I walked out of the inn and was almost hit by a snowball if it wasn't for my quick reflexes. Yoko giggled with the rest of the other ninjas. I scooped up some snow and hurled it at Yoko. It plopped right onto her head and I fell to the floor laughing. Nearby, all the others were having a snowball fight and I joined into the fun. Scooping up some snow, I threw at whoever happened to be in view. Unfortunately for Shikamaru, he was standing a little too close to me. Akamaru, Kiba's dog was also in the fight. He was helping Kiba distract the other ninjas. I watched Ino and Sakura build a snowman, which eventually began to look a lot like Sasuke with all that spiky hair. Naruto was sitting nearby with a bowl of hot ramen, when suddenly he found a snowball in his bowl.  
  
"Who threw this at me?!"  
  
A loud laugh gave away the culprit and the crowd parted to see Hinata in a tree laughing her head off. Everyone was having fun, but I noticed Neji sitting on a log. Once again, he had that look on his face that said that he was too dignified to have a little fun. I crept behind him and scared him.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
I sat down next to him and stared at him just to piss him off.  
  
"What are you looking at?"  
  
"Why don't you go have some fun?"  
  
"Don't want to."  
  
"Fine, then I'll bring the fun to you!"  
  
I grabbed some snow and plunked it all on his head. He sat motionless for a moment as if processing what happened in his head. I ran off and he finally got up and began acting like a thirteen year old. He chased me around while I was laughing. He lunged and caught me by the legs and we both fell tumbling into the snow. We wrestled around when finally, he broke a smile.  
  
"See, you're having fun!" I said. He didn't answer me but instead, tickled me until I was gasping for breath.  
  
"Stop! Seriously, stop!" I laughed. He finally stopped his attack on me when a snowball hit him and he got up and began throwing snowballs. The snowball fight continued until nightfall and I ran back with Yoko to the inn. Tsuyoshi had disappeared and Minako sent me to go look for him. I had seen him at the snowball fight so I went back to the battlefield. I looked around, but found nothing until I heard a rustle in the bushes. I pushed aside the bushes and saw Tsuyoshi. I was about to call him, but whom did I see next to him? Who else but Ino? I walked back to the inn and laughed. It was obvious who would be signing Tsuyoshi's lantern.  
  
"Where is he?" Minako asked.  
  
"Somewhere, doing something. Don't worry, he's not in trouble," I answered.  
  
"You better get to bed, the Festival starts early tomorrow morning," she said.  
  
I went to bed dreaming about new couples and the Festival tomorrow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Sorry, I have to stop here. But please REVIEW! I can't wait until the Festival! Almost forgot..  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Too bad. 


	6. Chapter 5: Festival of the Dragon

Chapter 4 ~ Festival of the Dragon  
  
"Suki! Suki! Wake up!"  
  
I groaned at the noise. I had went to bed very late last night and wanted to sleep late.  
  
"It's the Festival!"  
  
I bolted of my bed and began to change. I had completely forgotten that today was the Festival of the Dragon and Love. Yoko and Tsuyoshi had already dressed with Minako waiting for me with them. Finally done, we all walked out the inn and into a street full of decorations.  
  
"How are they? I did them all with Iruka last night," Minako proudly said.  
  
"It looks just like the ones back home," Tsuyoshi replied.  
  
All the stands were full of games and prizes. Every year, I remembered that I would buy a dragon lantern and carry it around all day. One particular stand was selling lanterns.  
  
"One Dragon lantern please," I said. The owner turned around and I gaped. "Iruka! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Minako?"  
  
"Yes, but she made me watch over this stand," he replied mournfully.  
  
"I'll help you watch it, you go and have fun with Sensei," I said. I felt so bad for him. He had spent the night helping Minako fix the decorations and now he had to do this? Selling lanterns wouldn't be that bad, I thought. His glum expression brightened at my offer and he quickly agreed. He climbed out and I took his place.  
  
"I'll drop by later to see how you're doing," he said, waving. I waved back and sat in the cold to wait for the costumers to arrive. Luckily, a group of children passed by and forced their parents to buy them lanterns. But after that sale, business was soon dwindling. By midday, I had only sold about 5 lanterns and it was starting to get warm. The sun had come out and I longed to run through the sparkling snow. Soon, the Genins passed by and caught sight of me and stopped.  
  
"Hey, how'd you get to work here?" Yoko asked.  
  
"Iruka got me into this," I answered.  
  
"How'd Iruka get to work here anyway?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Minako got him to do it. I felt bad for him, so I offered to take his place. But my ability to persuade people to buy stuff really sucks. So far I've only sold about 5 lanterns since this morning."  
  
"I have an idea. Naruto was selling candy before so why not you both team up? Buy two lanterns and get a free candy? The kids will love it," Ino suggested.  
  
"Sure, why not?" I said. I would do anything to liven up the stand. It was so boring. Ino ran off to get Naruto and like she said, kids really did arrive and buy lanterns. Soon, I was all sold out of lanterns and Iruka arrived. He climbed back in and Minako appeared.  
  
"Iruka! You sold all the lanterns!" she said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and he turned bright red. "Good, now I have something else for you to sell!" Iruka gave me a look and I shrugged. There was no way I was going to sit in there for the whole afternoon. When they left, Sakura and Ino began to giggle.  
  
"I didn't know Sensei Iruka had a girlfriend," Naruto said. "Who would ever like him?"  
  
"Not exactly his girlfriend, more like his crush," I said, laughing. "So, have you found someone to sign your lantern yet?" Sakura asked.  
  
"No, how 'bout you?"  
  
"Of course, I'm going to ask Sasuke!" she replied.  
  
"And you're going to ask Tsuyoshi, right?" I pointed to Ino. She blushed and stared at the ground guiltily.  
  
"How'd you know?" she said, her face burning up.  
  
"I see everything. Com'n how else do you think I know? I've known Tsuyoshi for my whole life. I know his taste."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As night began to fall, couples everywhere gathered around the lake with their lanterns. I sat quietly by the side and watched the procession. Sakura really did ask Sasuke and they both set their lantern afloat. Kakashi shared a lantern with my sister and surprisingly, Minako had agreed to Iruka's request. Naruto had asked Hinata and I laughed silently as he draped an arm around her shoulders. Tsuyoshi and Ino's lantern was already afloat. I decided to sign my own lantern. That would still bring me good luck. I set my lantern afloat and watched it drift away when suddenly, it crashed into another one and became stuck to it. I quickly glanced at the name of the other lantern. Hyuga Neji. I looked around the shore of the lake and saw Neji. He glanced at my lantern and his and then at me. I turned away, my face burning up. I walked away from the lake as if nothing had happened and back to the inn, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Neji with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Hey, sorry about your lantern."  
  
"No, no, it's ok."  
  
We stood adwarkly for a while in silence. My cheeks began to burn up again and I noticed that Neji was also blushing.  
  
"Uhh, I.I gotta get back now," I said.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Well, see you tomorrow," he replied, disappointed. I quickly walked away from the lake and back to the village, when I bumped into Misaki and Kakashi.  
  
"What are you hurrying away for?" Misaki asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Com'n, you're my sister, I can see something's wrong."  
  
"Can we talk in private?" I asked.  
  
"Sure, we were both just going back to his place," she answered, pointing to Kakashi.  
  
When we arrived at Kakashi's apartment, I took a seat in the living room and Misaki handed me a cup of tea. Misaki and Kakashi both sat across from me and sipped their tea. I felt like I was being interrogated for something I had done.  
  
"So, what's the story?"  
  
"It's.. it's about someone."  
  
"Guy or girl?"  
  
"Guy."  
  
Misaki nudged Kakashi and he put down the book that he was reading. I looked at the cover. "Come Come Paradise," it said.  
  
"So, what's with this guy? Do you like him? Or does he like you? Or even better, both of you like each other?" Misaki asked.  
  
"Umm, well.. We aren't exactly in a relationship. You can say we're friends. But, I'm not sure if he likes me or if I like him."  
  
"Continue," Misaki said.  
  
I told her the whole story, except I left out names. She listened quietly for the whole thing, but had to nudge Kakashi for reading Come Come Paradise instead of listening to me a few times.  
  
"Hmm, this is confusing. I've never met a guy like that. Kakashi, a little help here," she said.  
  
"Well, I think I know who it is, but I'm not going to jump to conclusions. So, have you ever thought why he didn't exactly treat you like a friend? Maybe you were so popular among the other ninjas that he didn't even bother to compete for your attention. You were alone at the lake, correct?" Kakashi said  
  
"Yeah," I answered.  
  
"He saw his chance and decided to talk to you like a friend," Kakashi simply replied.  
  
"But, but how do I know if he has feelings for me or not?"  
  
"These things take time. You'll soon find out. I went through this stage when I was your age, don't worry about it," Misaki said.  
  
"You sound like Mother."  
  
"Ha ha, now get outta here and talk to him."  
  
She shooed me from Kakashi's apartment and shut the door in my face. I walked slowly back to the lake and thought about what she had said. These things take time. I sat by the shore of the lake. All the couples had left and I watched the lanterns shimmer in the lake alone. I heard a rustle and saw Neji next to me, staring out to the lake.  
  
"Hey," I said.  
  
"Hey, mind if I join you?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
He sat down next to me and was quiet. I thought about what Misaki had said and finally decided to talk.  
  
"Neji."  
  
"Suki.."  
  
"Never mind."  
  
We had both spoken at the same time and my courage suddenly fled from me. We sat quiet again when finally, Neji began to speak.  
  
"Suki, I want to talk to you."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well, tonight is the Festival of Love, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And it is a tradition in your village to express your feelings to the one you love, right?"  
  
"Yeah, what about it."  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that."  
  
He paused for a few seconds and my heartbeat began to gain speed.  
  
"I..I like you."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Cough* Ahem..He finally said it!!! That stuck up loser finally said it!!!! And I had to stop it here!!!! Please REVIEW!!! And I'll continue to write.. If you review... 


	7. Chapter 6: Captured by the Sand

Chapter 5 ~ Captured by the Sand  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.now on with the story!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What?"  
  
"I like you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
By now, you could have sworn that my heart was going to jump out of my chest. He was attracted to me? Out of all people? What did he see in me? What was I supposed to say? "Oh, I like you too." How lame did that sound? It was true that I was attracted to him, but I didn't know how to say it. I decided to take a chance, since he did tell me truthfully, he deserved an answer from me too.  
  
"Well, I'm really flattered that you do," I said.  
  
"Oh."  
  
We sat quietly and my face began to burn up. I didn't know what to say.  
  
"Well, I gotta go. Goodnight," he said.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah, goodnight," I said.  
  
He walked away back through the bushes. That was all I could say? "Well, I'm really flattered that you do?" I brought my knees to my chest and propped my head against them and slowly fell asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning was spent cleaning up after yesterday's Festival. As they began the day's work, Minako suddenly realized that one of her students was missing.  
  
"Yoko, have you seen Suki?" she asked.  
  
"No, I thought you assigned her to clean up elsewhere."  
  
"No, I didn't. Come to think of it, I didn't see her last night either."  
  
Just then, Misaki and Kakashi arrived.  
  
"Have you seen Suki?" Misaki asked.  
  
"That was what I was about to ask you," Minako replied.  
  
All the villagers were questioned, but none of them had seen her until Neji was asked.  
  
"I saw her last night at the lake, but I don't know if she went back to the inn or not," he said. " Why, what happened?"  
  
"She's disappeared," Yoko said frantically.  
  
"It's all my fault! I left her by the lake!" he said, gritting his teeth at his stupidity.  
  
The news was soon brought to Lord Hokage and he formed a search party. All Jounins were to spread out in groups of 4 to find her. Lord Hokage had forbidden any other ninjas to form search parties. He had denied Neji the right to join the search.  
  
"This is not fair. We're capable of taking care of ourselves out there. Why won't they let us find her?" Sakura whined.  
  
"We'll have to form a search party ourselves. But we have to make sure that Lord Hokage doesn't find out. Tsuyoshi, you and Yoko will have to stay back to watch Lord Hokage," Neji said.  
  
"Why us?" Yoko said.  
  
"We've lived here our whole lives. We know the place better than both of you. Sasuke, you will travel with you regular team. Ino, you'll travel with your regular team too. Hinata, you'll be with Lee and me. Tenten, you take Hinata's place with Kiba and Shino. Sasuke, you and Ino's team will be searching the south area. Tenten and me will be searching the north area. We'll meet back at the Forest Shrine in two hours. Understand?"  
  
Everyone nodded their heads and they all split up and disappeared into the trees.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
My pounding head awoke me and I groaned. My head felt like someone was hitting it non-stop. I sat up and my vision was blurred for a moment. When my vision had cleared up, I observed my surroundings. I was in a very damp cave that had vegetation lining its walls. The cave entrance was covered with running water. I guessed that this cave was behind a waterfall. I got up and proceeded to walk to the entrance and escape, but was stopped when a shadow appeared at the entrance.  
  
"Going somewhere?" a voice said in a menacing tone.  
  
"What are you doing to me? Why am I here?" I asked, demanding answers.  
  
"Judging from your badge, you're a Mist Ninja. I want to know what clan you are in."  
  
"The Ono clan. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"That's my business. Now, why are you here in Konohagare?"  
  
"Because," I said.  
  
"Because what?"  
  
"Because," I said again. I was determined to make him annoyed.  
  
"Will you answer me already?!" he yelled. Obviously, my tactic was working.  
  
"Because I'm.. umm I'm here for my sister's wedding," I lied.  
  
"Your sister must also be in the Ono clan, so why is her wedding located here?"  
  
"Uhh, because she's marrying a uhh, store keeper who set up his shop here," I lied again. I was getting good at this, I thought. Before you know it, he'll think my grandfather was a bird. " Who are you anyway?"  
  
My interrogator stepped out of the shadows and I gasped. On his forehead was the kanji for "love" and strapped on his back was a giant gourd. My eyes flitted to his headband, which was strapped onto the belt that held the gourd on his back. He was from the Hidden Sand Village.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"  
  
"I am Gaara of the Sand and what I want are answers."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Neji was leaping from tree to tree in the northern section of the forest. His mind was so caught up in trying to find Suki that he hadn't even realized that he had left his comrades behind until he heard his name.  
  
"NEJI!!"  
  
He turned around and waited impatiently for the person to come out. Lee and Hinata appeared out of breath.  
  
"Why are you going so fast for? We can't keep up with you," Lee said.  
  
"I'm so tired," Hinata said, plopping onto the floor and panting.  
  
"We're going to have to find her soon. What if she's in danger?" Neji said, staring into the trees.  
  
"Don't worry, that girl can take care of herself. I've heard about her from Tsuyoshi. She was probably the most powerful ninja of the Genin rank back at their village," Lee said.  
  
"Yeah, we've seen her in battle. You know she can take care of herself," Hinata said in a comforting voice. She was worried. Not about Suki, but about Neji. Rarely did she him so nervous and scared.  
  
"Com'n let's go."  
  
They sprang of into the trees and disappeared from view.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the village, Lord Hokage spotted Yoko and Tsuyoshi as they lounged around his office.  
  
"Yoko, Tsuyoshi, what are you doing here? Where are the others?" he said.  
  
"Uhh, Lord Hokage... Good morning. We, uhh, we're just... walking around, yeah that's it," Tsuyoshi stuttered. Yoko gave him a nudge with her elbow and he shut his mouth.  
  
"The others, yes the others are playing hide and seek with us. We have no idea where they went, so we came to ask you if you've seen them," Yoko said, passing a very childish lie. Lord Hokage looked at them both suspiciously before answering them.  
  
"No, I haven't seen them. Now, I've got to go. Good-bye now," he replied, walking away.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going?" Tsuyoshi yelled after him.  
  
"To the Hunter-Nin's guild to check on progress."  
  
"NO!! I mean, no, I don't think it's a good idea to go there," Yoko lied.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because. because I heard that some weird bugs attacked it and now it's full of dead bugs," she said. He ignored them and walked farther.  
  
"Where are you going?" she yelled.  
  
"To the bathroom, is there a problem with that too?" he said. Yoko blushed and dragged Tsuyoshi behind a bush.  
  
"What do we do now?" she whispered.  
  
"I don't know! Wait until he comes back! Then maybe we can knock him out," he said.  
  
"WHAT?! We can't do that! He's Lord Hokage!" she hissed.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll think of something."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So, you are the famous Gaara of the Sand," I said. Gaara had a reputation of being a ruthless killer. Looking at him now, you wouldn't think that he was. He looked about my age, but he'd killed so many ninjas much older than both of our ages combined.  
  
"I see you've heard of me before," he said, smirking. "Now, you have some questions to answer."  
  
The questioning lasted until midday and I was getting bored. His siblings, Temari and Kankuro, arrived around noon and they had brought some food with them. I was starving and surprisingly, my captives actually offered food to me. I guess they weren't as ruthless as I thought. We sat around after lunch before Temari and Kankuro left again. Gaara had run out of questions and I decided that it was my turn to question him. After all, I might never get out of there alive and I might as well do something to pass time.  
  
"So, Gaara, why are you here?" I asked.  
  
"That's my business. Top secret mission from my father."  
  
"Who's your father?"  
  
"The Kazekage of Sand Village," he had answered with a strained look on his face.  
  
"You don't like your father?"  
  
"He's a bastard. I don't even consider him as my father."  
  
I was surprised by his answer for all the other ninjas who didn't have a father were very depressed. Here, he actually had a father and he called him a bastard?  
  
"What did he ever do to you?"  
  
"He's not exactly my father. More like my creator. And why are you being so nosy for?"  
  
I shut my mouth, scared that I would anger him and I sat in silence. My hip pouch began to shake and I suddenly remembered that my Phoenix egg was there. I took it out and the shell began to crack. A small head burst out and chirped. The rest of the body popped out and the Phoenix emerged. As if its life was being fast forwarded, it grew larger and larger until it was full grown and with a screech, it disappeared. During this whole process, Gaara was watching and when it was done, he began questioning me again, but I refused to answer any of his questions. We sat in silence again and I began to wonder. When was I going to get home? Would I ever get back alive? I hoped someone would find me and thankfully, I heard someone faintly call my name. In my happiness, I called out, not realizing that Gaara was still there.  
  
"I'M HERE!!!" I yelled. "I'M- MMFF!!"  
  
"Shut up! You stupid ass! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Gaara hissed. He had covered my mouth firmly with his hand and was now dragging me to the back of the cave. I kicked around until he pressed a shuriken against my throat.  
  
"One more word from you and you're going to get it," he hissed again. I shut my mouth in fear for my life. He dropped me onto the floor and I rubbed my neck. It was sore, but I would live. I sat quietly waiting for someone to find me.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"SUKI!!"  
  
"I'M HERE!!!"  
  
"Did you hear that? She's somewhere near here!" Hinata said, breathless from excitement. They followed the sound of the voice and they were sure that the others would be able to hear it. Halfway there, they met up with Tenten, Kiba, and Shino. They followed the trail up the mountain, but found no trace until they came to the riverbank. Littered along the bank were dead bodies of forest animals. The blood led to a hidden trail that went behind a waterfall. As they followed up the trail, they heard people talking.  
  
"What are you going to do with me?"  
  
"You'll find out soon."  
  
Neji was sure that one of the voices belonged to Suki and he burst through the waterfall without thinking.  
  
"Suki! You're here!"  
  
The rest of the other ninjas appeared and soon, the ninjas assigned to search the south area arrived. Gaara saw that he was out numbered, and he proceeded to battle. He shut his eyes and his gourd began to vibrate. The cork popped out and a flow of sand erupted from the opening. The sand headed straight for the ninjas and they pushed them out one by one. Suki jumped on top of Gaara and shoved a pebble into the opening to stop the flow of sand. Gaara pushed her off and the sand was once more free, attacking the ninjas and pushing them out the cave into a five-foot drop towards the river. Suki fell out and for a few moments, she saw Neji follow after her. He dived out of the cave entrance, his arms stretched towards her. She grabbed them and concentrated on summoning the Phoenix.  
  
The sky turned crimson red and a loud screech signaled the arrival of the all-powerful Phoenix. It swooped down and caught Suki and Neji on its back. They both landed with a thud and the Phoenix flew towards the river, picking up the rest of the fallen ninjas with its beak and claws. It dropped them of on the riverbank and turned its wrath on Gaara. Suki climbed atop the Phoenix and it flew up towards the cave. A flaming cyclone was issued from its beak and it evaporated the waters of the river, exposing the cave entrance and Gaara.  
  
"You think you can beat me with this overgrown chicken?" Gaara said, laughing.  
  
"No, I know I can beat you with the Phoenix." Suki replied. She patted the Phoenix and it attacked. It swooped down to the entrance and grabbed Gaara by his gourd. The sand enclosed around Suki and the Phoenix, surrounding them in a sandy tomb. The sand restricted the Phoenix's wing movement, causing it to drop down towards the forest. Seconds before it hit the ground, it broke free of the sand and flapped its way up to the sky. Suki gasped for air, coughing up a little sand from her throat. The Phoenix released Gaara and he fell through the sky. His sand formed a sling around him and he landed safely. Suki landed next to Gaara and patted the Phoenix's head.  
  
"I'll do this myself," she whispered. It nodded and flew into the sky, disappearing behind some clouds. The sky cleared up and the sun once again shone brightly. Suki grabbed a shuriken and lunged at Gaara. She threw the shuriken and it barely reached him when Gaara's sand destroyed it. The sand headed straight for her and she braced herself for the hit, but she didn't feel anything. Right in front of her was Neji encased in sand. He cried out in pain as Gaara began tightening the hold on him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"NEJI!! NO!!"  
  
In my fury, I grabbed a shuriken and lunged at Gaara. The sand took the blow for him and it knocked me over. It made a large gash on my arm and I felt the blood dribble out, but I was too caught up in my anger to feel any pain. I lunged at him again, but this time I feinted and attacked the only place that was not protected by his sand. His legs. I threw the shuriken with all the strength I had and was rewarded by Gaara's scream as it pierced his leg. The sand around Neji fell lifelessly onto the floor and he fell with a thud. It was dragged back into the gourd as if an invisible force was vacuuming it up. I ran to Neji and picked him up by his head. He opened his eyes and smiled.  
  
"You're ok," he whispered. I nodded as tears came to my eyes. He put his hand up onto my face and stroked it gently.  
  
"Don't die, Neji." I said, choking on my own tears. He put a finger to my lips and slowly closed his eyes. I lifted him up and walked towards the others. I set him down gently and wiped away my tears.  
  
"Take care of him." I said. Sakura put a hand on my shoulder.  
  
"It's o.k." I said. "I know he'll be o.k." I walked back to where Gaara was. I was determined to defeat him, no matter what it took. Someone tugged my arm and I turned back.  
  
"If you go, I'll go too," Hinata said. "Neji's my cousin and I want to help you."  
  
I nodded and Hinata gave me a hug. Rock Lee, Tenten, Naruto, and Sasuke all walked up. They also volunteered to help. I instructed the others to stay behind, just in case Temari and Kankuro came back.  
  
"Let's go kick some ninja butt!!" Naruto yelled.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lord Hokage wandered back to his office. When he got back, he would have a nice hot bath and a cup of tea. There were some shuffling noises by the bush next to the entrance and he went to investigate. It better not be those kids again, he thought, frowning. He pushed the bushes aside and..  
  
"I can't believe we just did that!!" Yoko whined. "If Minako finds out, she'll kill us!"  
  
"Aww, stop being a baby, nothing's gonna happen. Let's tie him up and find the others," Tsuyoshi replied. They toke out a rope and dragged Lord Hokage's unconscious form into the bushes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Shit. oww.." I said, out of breath.  
  
"Had enough already? This only the beginning. I'm going to do something far worse than what you did to my leg," Gaara hissed. The others were all too tired to fight. Naruto's doppelgangers were too slow, Sasuke's attacks just wouldn't go through, Tenten's weapons didn't work either, Hinata's Byakugen was useless against all that sand, and Rock Lee was just too tired. I was the last one standing and I needed to do something before he killed us all. I couldn't summon the Phoenix, I had no strength and if I didn't do anything, this was going to be a really big loss. I took out a few ninja stars and flicked them at him. While he was busy showing off and catching them one by one, I jumped from under him and slammed into his stomach. He fell over and cursed.  
  
"You bitch!"  
  
I collapsed onto the ground. I just couldn't go on anymore. The sand flew out of his gourd and wrapped around me. His hand slowly closed and I could feel the life being squeezed out of me. I cried out in pain and he laughed at my agony.  
  
"How's this feel?" he said.  
  
Some blood trickled out of my mouth and the salty taste overflowed my lips. I couldn't do anything. I was too weak. Too tired. I had no strength. The sky began to blacken and the air slowly escaped from my lungs. I was getting so sleepy..  
  
"SUKI!!!"  
  
"Wha."  
  
"Put her down, you bastard!"  
  
"Well, well, new players? This is going to be fun."  
  
The sand loosened a bit and I painfully hit the earth. Air returning to my lungs again. My vision began to brighten and I pushed myself up.  
  
"Suki! Are you ok?"  
  
I turned to Yoko's voice and fell into her arms. I was a bit dizzy from the lack of oxygen, but I was getting better. I wiped the blood from my mouth and faced Gaara.  
  
"There's only one thing we can do to him," I said.  
  
"The Assault?" Tsuyoshi asked. I nodded.  
  
"The Assault."  
  
I stood firmly on the ground and prepared myself. Yoko ran to one side of Gaara and Tsuyoshi to the other.  
  
"Oh, playing another little game, are we," Gaara said, smirking.  
  
"TIRPLE WHIRLPOOL ASSAULT!!!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: MUAHAHAHAHAHA, I'm just so evil, ending it here at that crucial moment. But, don't worry, you'll get more soon, if you REVIEW!!!!! Oh, I also have a request for all of those great artists currently living in New York City. Could you please send me a sample by December cuz I need to figure out who I'm gonna pick for this art thing I'm doing... if you're interested. Prize money and everything else will be split evenly, just in case you're wondering... Ooo. be sure to read my new fanfic: "Love by the Moon!!!" 


	8. Chapter 7: Finding Yourself

Chapter 6 ~ Finding Yourself  
  
AN: I just got my braces tightened and they hurt like hell! I can't eat and I don't like watching TV without food, so I was like, what the hell and I started this chapter. This chapter is continuing of from the last where Suki and the others get attacked by Gaara, just in case you forgot and it's in 3rd person. Also, my request from the last chapter, please respond!!! I'd really appreciate it!!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto.man, these disclaimers are really annoying.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"TRIPLE WHIRLPOOL ASSAULT!!!"  
  
Three giant whirlpools erupted from the ground forming cracks along the earth. They surrounded Gaara and trapped him into the watery tornadoes. The whirlpools were supposed to help ninjas distract their opponents while they jumped to attack whenever their opponent was off guard. Tsuyoshi drew out a shuriken and signaled to Yoko and Suki. They jumped into the whirlpools together and slashed Gaara. The sand didn't know which attack to protect, the whirlpool or the shuriken. Gaara's blood flowed into the whirlpool's water and tinted a slight red. The assault continued until the whirlpools were dark red in color. They subsided and Gaara landed on the floor with a sickening thud.  
  
Suki jumped to the floor and panted. The assault had taken a lot from her and she could barely stand from her weariness. She stumbled to Gaara and nudged him with her foot. His body was scarred with blade marks and blood was flowing freely from the wounds. Yoko and Tsuyoshi held her up as they walked back to the others. Fortunately, Temari and Kankuro hadn't returned.  
  
"How's Neji?" she asked.  
  
"Not doing so well. He's having trouble breathing," Sakura replied. Suki kneeled next to him and stroked his head gently. He was in this condition because of her. She felt so guilty. She had to do something about it. Using the last of her strength, she called the Phoenix. It was said that a Phoenix's tears healed any kind of wound, no matter how close to death that person was. The Phoenix fed its tears to Neji and disappeared. He stirred a little when suddenly; he shot up like a bullet.  
  
"Where's Suki?" he asked.  
  
"I'm right here," she replied.  
  
"Are you ok? What happened to Gaara?"  
  
"We took care of him, don't worry," Yoko said.  
  
"We have to get the others to the hospital," Suki said, slowly sinking to the floor.  
  
"What about you?" Neji said.  
  
"Don't worry about me, help the others first."  
  
She collapsed onto the floor. All her strength had left her and she couldn't hold on. Sakura held a hand to her mouth and gasped.  
  
"She's not dead, is she?" she asked.  
  
"No, she can't be. I won't believe it. Suki, you have to hang on!" Neji said frantically. He held her on his back and ran through the forest. The others did the same with the fallen and they rushed to the hospital.  
  
"Suki, you have to hang on. You can't die!" Neji whispered. He sprang from tree to tree until he reached the village and he rushed to the hospital. He burst in through the door and the patients and nurses stared at him.  
  
"Please! You have to help her!" he yelled. He dropped her onto the nearest bed and a doctor ran in. She shooed Neji out of the patient's rooms and into the rest area. They wheeled Suki into an emergency room and closed the door shut. Neji was left alone in the waiting room until the others came running in.  
  
"What happened? Is she ok?" Ino asked.  
  
"..."  
  
"Well?!" Sakura said.  
  
"I don't know, she just went into the emergency room," Neji whispered. They all sat in the waiting room for what seemed to be forever when Kakashi, Misaki, Iruka, and Minako arrived at the hospital. Misaki had tears in her eyes and she frantically went to the young ninjas. Sakura and Ino comforted her while Kakashi stood quietly next to Neji.  
  
"How is she?" Kakashi asked softly.  
  
"Not good." Neji answered. "It's all my fault! If I didn't leave her by the river, this would have never happened!" he suddenly burst out. Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"She did what she did for you. It was something that she was willing to do. It's not your fault," Kakashi said. "That's what love is all about."  
  
Neji turned bright red and looked at him accusingly.  
  
"How'd you know?" he said.  
  
"She's my girlfriend's sister, what would I not know?" he said, staring at him with his one eye. Neji looked down, embarrassed.  
  
"So, you're saying that she likes me too?" he said. Kakashi nodded.  
  
"Sometimes, you never realize what is important to you until you lose it and in your case, it's Suki," Kakashi explained. The doors opened and the doctor stepped out.  
  
"Doctor, how's my sister? Will she be ok?" Misaki immediately asked. The doctor shook her head.  
  
"She's lost too much strength. She's in a coma and on life support, but it's a matter of time before even the system can't help her."  
  
Misaki sobbed into Kakashi's shoulder. Her sister was too young to die and without Suki, she wouldn't know what to do.  
  
"I've heard of a plant that grows in the mountains that can help cure anything. Do you think that will help?" Iruka suddenly said.  
  
"I don't know. But if you're willing to try, I'll do some research on it," the doctor replied.  
  
"Who's going to go?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Me and Yoko are definitely going, and so is Misaki," Tsuyoshi said. "After all, we are the closest ones to her."  
  
"I'll go," Neji said quietly.  
  
"No one below Chuunin level is permitted to go," Kakashi said firmly. "Misaki and I will be going. Iruka, you and Minako will stay and watch the kids and make sure they don't make any attempt to follow us."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, Kakashi and Misaki had packed and they headed north to the mountains. Iruka and Minako stayed by the young ninjas the whole day, making sure that they wouldn't do anything. Neji spent the day at the hospital beside Suki and in the afternoon, the others went to watch them both. Neji held her hand tightly, as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would die. Many of them had tears in their eyes and for the first time in about 10 years, a tear slid down Neji's cheeks. Hinata put a hand on his shoulder. She had seen him cry before, but it was many years ago at his father's funeral. Neji's father had sacrificed himself for the good of the Hyuga clan, but he was never able to see what a skilled ninja Neji turned out to be. Although they were of the same clan, Neji was scarred for his life. He was in the branch house, and for that, he would never be able to lead the Hyuga clan.  
  
During this whole process, Iruka was there and he began to feel sorry for Neji. He walked to the ninjas and offered them a deal.  
  
"I'll permit 6 of you to go, but you must promise me that you will come back alive, or I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life. Understood? And don't tell Kakashi or Minako about it, they'll kill me."  
  
They nodded and he smiled. He turned and walked out of the hospital.  
  
"I'm definitely going," Sakura said.  
  
"Me, too," Ino said.  
  
"No, I should be the one who's going," Naruto argued.  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Shikamaru said.  
  
"Will you all just shut up?!" Neji suddenly yelled. They all fell silent at his sudden outburst. "I will choose who goes, and who stays. Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Sasuke, and I will go. The rest of you stay here and watch over Suki," he said. He got up and stroked Suki's head. With one last look, he walked out with the others following him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, all the ninjas were prepared and they set out. Naruto pulled out a map and tried to read it and failed miserably. He turned it every way, but just couldn't find the right road. Sakura grabbed it and pointed to the right road. They walked along the Golden Shuriken Road until sunset and set up camp. The guys got the larger tent and Sakura and Hinata got the smaller one. Naruto made a fire and Sakura took out the frozen food that they would cook. Hinata and Neji were quiet while Sakura and Naruto had their usual squabble. Dinner was finished and everyone retired to their tents for the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
They traveled like that for a few days until they came to a small inn at the base of a mountain. Walking in, they were greeted by an old lady.  
  
"Travelers, welcome. I'm so glad we have visitors. Not many people come to these parts anymore," she said, leading them to a tearoom.  
  
"Why's that?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Well, legend has it that there is a large ice demon at the top of the mountain. He rages day and night and causes blizzards in these areas," she said.  
  
"There is a plant up in the mountain that can cure sicknesses, right?" Neji asked.  
  
"Yes, but not many travelers that go there come back alive," the woman said, pouring tea into their cups. Sakura took a sip from her cup and thought for a moment.  
  
"Are you sure they aren't just rumors? What if there wasn't such a thing?" she asked.  
  
"No one knows for sure. Now, how many nights will be staying? It's 250 yen per night for each room," the old lady said, holding up her hand to receive the money. The kids turned to Neji, but found that he was gone.  
  
"He must've gone up the mountain himself!" Hinata whispered. She jumped from her chair and hurried to the door. She couldn't lose her cousin to an ice demon.  
  
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled after her. "Wait for me!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He must reach the top, no matter what it took. He must do it for her and for her alone. He must also find his inner strength and prove to the Hyuga clan that he didn't belong in the branch house. He must prove to himself that he is strong. That he is not a loser, not like that Naruto kid. Not like his cousin, Hinata. He must prove that to the whole village that he is the most powerful Genin. He must prove that he can survive.  
  
The harsh wind stung his face as he trekked up the mountain slope. The strong blizzard made it hard to see and the ground was as white as his eyes. He brought the cloak around himself tighter to shield himself from Mother Nature's wrath. Climbing one step at a time, he suddenly heard his name being called. Was it the wind? Or was there somebody actually following him? It was faint, but he could make it out and it sounded a lot like Hinata. He stopped and looked down. A small dark figure appeared through the snow and slowly, it made it's way towards him.  
  
"Neji-kun! Where are you?"  
  
Neji climbed back down towards the figure and recognized it as Hinata. He pulled her up a small ledge and glared at her. She looked away and blushed, but her face was so pink from the cold, you couldn't tell at all.  
  
"Why'd you follow me?" he said emotionlessly  
  
"B.Because, I'm worried that something might happen to you," she said. What she said struck him. A member of the Main House, the ultimate rival, was worried about a member of the Branch House? Hadn't her father ever taught her anything? He would've understood if she was still young. He himself made that same mistake many years ago, but was told by his father that he must never give up to anyone, even family. Was this why Hinata was considered by the Hyuga clan as the weakest? As the disgrace of the Hyuga clan? His thoughts were interrupted when the rest arrived at the ledge. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Lee all climbed atop the ledge. Neji ignored them and proceeded up the mountain.  
  
"What's with him?" Naruto asked, looking at Hinata. She blushed and followed her cousin in his footsteps.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Another hour was spent climbing, but to them, it seemed like forever when finally, Neji stopped. A small cave was found and the night was spent there. The next morning, Neji was found missing again and Hinata was first to follow him again (Arrgghh! Hinata's so freaking nice to Neji! And he treats her like shit!!!!!!). They finally caught up with him and the day was spent climbing. They reached a very thick batch of clouds and stopped, but started again when they saw that Neji was not going to give up. The clouds fogged up their vision and gave them a tingly sensation on their skin. When the clouds finally disappeared, they found the sky as clear as summer. Neji was standing in the sparkling snow with the sun on his face. He pointed and they looked at the direction that he was pointing to. Above a icy ledge, was a beautiful grassy meadow. A few leaves dropped down from the meadow, but when it passed the ledge, it froze and melted into water. Neji climbed up towards the ledge and Naruto yelled after him.  
  
"I am NOT going up there. Didn't you see what just happened?" he said.  
  
"Naruto, why are you always so stubborn?" Sakura said. Naruto crossed his arms, ignoring her.  
  
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata said.  
  
"Heh?"  
  
"Naruto-kun, will you, can you please climb up there for me?" she said, blushing.  
  
"Huh?" Naruto stared at her and she turned away, blushing.  
  
"What, you scared?" Sasuke asked. Naruto glared at him and pulled up his sleeves, forming a fist.  
  
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, SASUKE!!!!!"  
  
His voice echoed around the valley. There was a rumbling noise that slowly grew louder and louder. Snow appeared at the peak of the mountain and came sliding down.  
  
"AVALANCHE!!! RUN!!!" Naruto yelled, running down the mountain.  
  
"No shit!" Sakura yelled. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough and the snow swept them into its clutches.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
All was quiet, except for the sound of dripping water. Hinata struggled to get out from under the snow and when she did, she looked around. It looked a lot like she was in an ice cave. Stalactites and stalagmites made out of ice decorated the glassy cave.  
  
"Naruto-kun! Lee-san! Sakura-chan! Neji-kun! Sasuke-kun!" she yelled into the cave. Only her echoes answered her and she walked around the cave, looking for any sign of the ninjas. She came across a cloak that looked a lot like Neji's and she went in that direction. At the end of that tunnel, there was a small cave. In the middle of the cave, surrounded by glittering flowers that appeared to be made out of ice, was Neji. She ran over to him and shook him.  
  
"Neji-kun! Neji-kun! Wake up!" she whispered urgently. Neji stirred a little and opened his eyes.  
  
"Where am I?" he said.  
  
"I don't know. It seems like a cave," Hinata answered. Neji looked at her strangely.  
  
"Neji-kun?"  
  
"Who are you? Why do you keep calling me Neji-kun?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Oh-oh. Neji's forgotten everything!!!!!!! What will Hinata do with an idiot who knows nothing? Will she abandon that idiot? J/K Anyway, some of you might notice if you've played FFX, I kinda got the idea of the ice cave and ice flowers from Macalania Woods. It's so pretty there. Wish I could live there instead of in a freaking crappy apartment!!!! So, tune in for the next chapter and please REVIEW!!!!! Thank you! 


	9. Chapter 8: Trapped

Chapter 8 ~ Trapped  
  
AN: I saw Final Destination 2 last night over my friend's house and I was so freaked out. No wonder its rated R. There's guts and crap in every scene. Ick. Then I spent over an hour trying to sleep, but couldn't and when I did, I had this freaky dream about Zabuza for some reason. Well, anyway, enjoy the story! Oh, btw, I kinda got the chapter order mixed up. I'll number them right starting with this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: You know the routine. I don't own Naruto. blah blah, don't sue or I'll sue back.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled. She couldn't bear the thought of her sweet Sasuke-kun dying and leaving her in this lonely world. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she swung her fist back.  
  
"Geez, calm down, it's only me," Lee said, blocking her punch. Sakura blushed and ignored him, continuing her search for her Sasuke-kun. They walked along the corridors of the cave, the ice reflecting their images. They reached a dead end and when Sakura turned back, the ice floor gave away and they fell through. This is my chance to save her! Lee thought. In mid air, he grabbed her legs and pushed her up so she was on top. He landed on his back and Sakura landed on him. There was a loud crack that echoed through the cave.  
  
"Lee-san! Are you ok? Did you break anything?" Sakura asked, jumping up. Lee moaned and pushed himself up.  
  
"Nothing's broken. Even if something was, I'd be happy that you were ok," he said, clutching his stomach.  
  
"Well, if you're in the condition to walk then I guess you're not hurt that badly," Sakura answered. She turned back and they walked for what seemed like hours when suddenly, there was a loud roar behind them. The floor rumbled as the thing came closer and closer to Sakura and Lee's current location.  
  
"What do we do? What do we do?" Sakura whispered.  
  
"We stay here and fight," Lee answered. The thing's roar grew louder and louder and in the background was the sound of Naruto's yell. Sakura peeked around the corner and saw a large blue thing chasing Naruto and Sasuke. If they're running from it, that means I should too! Sakura thought.  
  
"RUN!!" she yelled to Lee, running for her life.  
  
"Sakura-chan! Wait for me!" Lee said.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Who are you? Why do you keep calling me Neji-kun?"  
  
Hinata was shocked. Was he playing a trick on her?  
  
"Neji-kun, it's not funny. Stop pretending."  
  
"What do you mean pretending? I don't even know who you are. Where am I anyway?" he said, looking around confused.  
  
"Neji-kun, I'm Hinata, remember? Your cousin?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his eyes.  
  
"So, what you're saying is my name is Neji and you are Hinata, my cousin?" he asked. She nodded and he scratched his head. Well, at least he's talking to me, Hinata thought. "But that still doesn't tell me where I am."  
  
"I don't know where we are. We were sent on a mission to recover a plant for Suki. It's supposed to cure her. The plant's on this mountain somewhere, but there was an avalanche and we slid down into this cave," she said.  
  
"Who's Suki?" Neji asked. "Is she my mother or something like that?"  
  
Hinata smacked her head. To explain every little detail of his life to him would take forever. She got up and walked out of the little cave. She would have to find the others.  
  
"Hey! Where are you going? Don't leave me here!" Neji yelled, getting up and running after her. Hinata picked up the cloak that Neji had dropped and handed it to him.  
  
"Here, put it on, it's going to be cold outside."  
  
They walked around aimlessly for a while until Hinata heard a loud rumbling. Neji timidly cowered behind her as she searched for the origin of the noise. When she turned around the corner, Naruto almost ran into her. He grabbed her arm and dragged her away.  
  
"Naruto-kun! What's wrong? Why are you running?" she yelled above the noise.  
  
"Look behind you!" he said. She turned around, but in the dim light, all she could see was a large blue figure chasing them. She had a hold of Neji's arms and for the first time in his life, he was running from a fight. Unfortunately for them, they ran right into the small cave that Hinata found Neji in. It was a dead end and they were trapped.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Neji's acting all cowardly. At least it's a change from his usual arrogant self. This chapter was a little short, but I was too sleepy to continue. I fell asleep halfway through the story and I had that weird dream about Zabuza again, except this time, he was wearing a gray t-shirt and he smelled like really expensive cologne. OooOOOo.. I can still smell it. Anyway, as always, please review and I'll continue the story. Thank you and have a nice day! 


	10. Chapter 9: Memories of the Past

Chapter 9 ~ Memories of the Past  
  
AN: My hamster died and I wasn't in the mood to write which was why I didn't exactly update. Sorry.  
  
Disclaimer: Sooner or later, I'm gonna stop writing these things..  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Shit! We're trapped!" Sasuke swore. They backed up against the wall and the blue thing roared triumphly. It stepped into the light (think Beauty and the Beast) and Sakura gasped. It was about 7 feet tall with big horns. It had a snout similar to a dog and there was a small pouch on its stomach. Something seemed to be moving around inside it, but she just couldn't make it out. The creature roared loudly and Neji cowered behind Hinata.  
  
"What do we do?" Sakura asked.  
  
"We fight it," Sasuke answered. "We have no other choice." He grabbed a few shuriken and flung them at the monster. It threw them to the floor with a clang with just one swipe of its paw. Naruto used his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and threw himself on the monster. One of his replications managed to squirm inside its pouch. The replications disappeared and Naruto popped out of its pouch with something in his hands. He ran to the other side of the room with the thing cradled in his arms. It was blue with yellow stripes on its back. A small button nose dotted its snout and it was curled up in Naruto's arms. It reached up and gave Naruto a lick on his cheek.  
  
"Ick, what is this thing?" he said. Hinata ran over with Neji behind her. She tickled the thing's belly and it made a funny hiccupping sound.  
  
"It must be the monster's baby. It was trying to protect it the whole time!" she said.  
  
"Can we get out of here? That monster's scaring me," Neji said, shaking Hinata's shoulder. Naruto gave her a questioning look and she shook her head. The monster had set its eyes on Naruto. It roared and charged with its horns, barely missing Naruto. It slammed into the wall while Naruto jumped nimbly aside. The ice wall began to crack and bright light shone through the cracks. The monster recoiled from the light, shielding its eyes with its paws. The wall gave away and on the other side, was a grassy meadow filled with sweet smelling flowers. Naruto put down the baby creature and ran out of the cave and into the meadow.  
  
"This is the place we've been trying to get to the whole time!" Naruto yelled. He ran through the meadow and rolled around in the grass.  
  
"Is this where we live, Hinata?" Neji asked, poking her.  
  
"No Neji-kun, we live back at Konoha," she answered.  
  
"What's a Konoha?" he said. Hinata shook her head. Naruto poked at Neji.  
  
"Hey, stop that! I don't even know who you are!" Neji cried, hiding behind Hinata.  
  
"What happened to him?" Lee asked.  
  
"He lost his memory back at the cave. Something must've hit him on the head," she said. "Neji, these are your friends."  
  
"I wouldn't exactly say friends," Sasuke said.  
  
"Fine, these are your classmates. That's Lee, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto. You don't have to be afraid of them. They won't hurt you," she said, nudging Neji towards them.  
  
"Hello," he said timidly. They walked around the plain, but it was impossible to tell which flower was the one they were looking for. They split up, searching for anything that might lead them to the right one. Sakura walked along the apple orchard, when an apple hit her head.  
  
"Hey!" she said, looking up. On the tree branch was her sensei.  
  
"Sakura! What are you doing here?!" Kakashi said.  
  
"Uh, hi, Kakashi-sensei. How are you doing today? Nice weather right?" she said guiltily.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Genins sat on the grass while Kakashi and Misaki stood on the tree. They glared down at them and Neji whimpered.  
  
"Hinata, I don't like them, they're scaring me," he said.  
  
"What happened to him?" Misaki asked.  
  
"He lost his memory in the cave," Hinata answered.  
  
"We have already found the flower and we were just about to leave. The quickest way to get down the mountain is on my dragon, but it can't carry all of us. If only Suki was here. She'd summon her Phoenix," Misaki said. Suddenly, the sky turned red and the Phoenix appeared. Tied to one of its claws was a small scroll with a message on it.  
  
Dear Misaki,  
  
I knew this was going to happen, so I made sure that the Phoenix would go to you if you had any trouble. Tell Neji that he doesn't have to worry about me, I won't leave him. Just make sure he doesn't get hurt, cuz I'll never forgive him if he does.  
  
Love ~ Suki  
  
"Neji, Suki says not to worry about her. That she won't leave you," Misaki said.  
  
"Whose Suki?" he asked. Misaki shook her head.  
  
"Never mind. You're not going to remember her anyway. We'll have to get him back to the village to see if they can cure him," Misaki said. She summoned her Dragon and climbed atop of it. Neji, Hinata, Naruto, and Lee rode on the Phoenix. The Dragon and Phoenix flew down the mountain and towards Konoha.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Are you Suki?  
  
Yes.  
  
Where am I?  
  
In your memories.  
  
My memories?  
  
Yes, the memories of your past.  
  
Father?  
  
Son, you must remember. Never give up.  
  
What are talking about, Father?  
  
You'll know soon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sky had turned dark and Neji had fallen asleep next to Hinata. Naruto and Lee had also fallen asleep. Only Hinata was awake. She was too worried about Neji to do anything. What if he never got well? What if he stayed that way for his whole life? Suddenly, Neji began to yell.  
  
"Father! No.NO!!!! Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why? I'm strong enough!" he yelled. He twisted and turned next to Hinata. She shook him, but he did not wake up.  
  
"Neji! Neji!" she said. His forehead protector came loose and she gasped. The mark, the scar of his bondage. The bondage that would weigh him down his whole life. The bondage that he scorned. The bondage that he felt did not belong to him. He clutched his head in agony as he screamed.  
  
"NO!!"  
  
"Neji-kun! Wake up! You're dreaming!" Hinata yelled, shaking him.  
  
"Hinata. Hinata," he whimpered. He opened his eyes as tears streamed down his face. "Hinata, Father, he's dead. He's dead."  
  
"Yes, I know. That happed many years ago. Don't worry," she said, stroking his head. She handed his forehead protector on and he tied it on. "Do you remember?" she asked. He nodded silently. He was back to his usual, arrogant self again. But something about his eyes was different. He had seen something that would never leave his memories. He fell asleep again, this time in the arms of the same family that he had despised his whole life.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Aww. Poor Neji-kun. his past is so depressing. *sniff.. Please review and tell me what you think, for Neji-kun's sake! And don't forget to read the next chapter.. if I remember to update.. 


	11. Chapter 10: Shadow of the Hyugas

Chapter 10 ~ Shadow of the Hyugas  
  
AN: Aww.. this is the last chapter.. I'll miss this story. but not to worry! I've got a new fic, it's called Lost and Neji's in it!  
  
Disclaimer: Since this is the last chapter, I'll actually write it. ~ I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does, so don't sue.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Suki had been cured and she sat on the hospital bed. Tomorrow, she would be able to leave the hospital and continue her training. Hinata had told her everything, but for some reason, Neji did not come to see her once after she woke up. She didn't know if she was the problem or if he himself had a problem.  
  
"Suki?"  
  
"Oh, hey Misaki. How's it going with you and Kakashi?"  
  
"It's ok, I want you to help me with the wedding. Is that ok?" Misaki asked.  
  
"OK? Of course it's ok! Even if you didn't ask me to, I would have to. You're my sister!" she said.  
  
"Well, that's it. You have to rest," Misaki said, leaving Suki alone again. She propped her head on the pillow. It was so boring in the hospital. She wanted to go out and release all that energy that she had stored while she had been resting in the infirmary. Although the doctor had said that she would be able to leave tomorrow, maybe it wouldn't hurt if she left today. It was getting dark anyway, so no one would see her. She put on her ninja gear and climbed through a window. Flexing her muscles, she leaped from tree to tree. She headed for the lake that Neji had first told her about his secret crush for her. She sat by the lake and played around with the water. In the distance, she could see a figure that strangely looked a lot like Neji. She went to get a closer look and found that it was in fact him.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing out here?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing. I was bored. How about you? Shouldn't you be at the hospital," he said.  
  
"Shhh.. don't tell anyone that you saw me here," she whispered. They walked along the lakeshore and right on the sand, were two lanterns. Suki picked them up and handed one to Neji.  
  
"Hey, remember these?" she said.  
  
"Yeah," he replied in a far away voice. "How'd you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"How'd you go into my memories?"  
  
"I don't know, it was like I was dreaming and I saw you. So I went to say hi, but you wouldn't answer me and I saw some of your memories. It looked really weird, like out of order. Then I heard Hinata say something like you lost your memory or something and I figured that I might be able to help you since I saw them," she said. "You never told me about you dad."  
  
"You never asked," he said. Suddenly, she reached up and untied his forehead protector, revealing his bondage. She touched it and he backed away.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," she said. She continued to touch it. Neji closed his eyes in scorn. In embarrassment. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Special people get picked for special things. Like me," she said.  
  
"But, this is nothing to be proud of. This is a scar that marks my weakness. This keeps me under control," he said, taking her hand from his head. She touched his cheek and a small tear slid down his eye. She wiped it away and leaned up, pressing her lips on his. He opened his eyes in shock and kissed her back.  
  
"Sometimes, you must learn to not view everything as a bondage, as a curse. You must view it as a gift. Something that you are lucky to have," Suki said, tying his forehead protector back on his head. She unzipped her jacket and revealed a mark on her shoulder. It was a circle with two dots in the middle. "When my sister became a missing nin, my family was branded as traitors. They gave me this mark when I was very young and I was forced to show it to whoever I met. But I found acceptance in Konoha. A place where people don't care if I'm marked or not," she said.  
  
"But you're different. I was born here. Everyone knows about it," he said.  
  
"Even if they don't accept you. You've already found a place in someone," she said.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Me."  
  
They walked into the setting sun hand in hand. His shadow stretched out. The shadow of a true Hyuga. Hyuga Neji.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Did you see that?" Naruto asked. Hinata's eyes were wide open. She nodded. Someone had finally opened up Neji's heart. Someone had finally viewed him not as the misfortune of the Hyuga clan or the strongest Genin that everyone was afraid of, but as himself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: IT"S OVA!!!! That was so sweet! Neji, the cold, rock hard ninja has become a sweet, caring guy. Well, please review!!!!! And don't forget to check out my new fic Lost. 


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